


the connect | monsta x

by softpil



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Hackers, Everyone Is Gay, M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 11:40:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 11,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14212356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softpil/pseuds/softpil
Summary: in which two hackers,  two art majors,  two math majors,  and one peculiar man are all connected by one force: time.





	1. Chapter 1

ships: 

-kiho:   
kihyun + wonho   
math majors 

-shownhyuk:   
shownu + minhyuk   
art majors

-jookyun   
jooheon + changkyun   
hackers/ dropped out tech majors

characters:

kihyun- a stressed out math major who's borderline failing his physics course 

wonho/hoseok- a "tough guy" (who's actually smart and kind) who offers to tutor kihyun

shownu/hyunwoo- a shy and talented art student who stays behind to perfect his paintings 

minhyuk- art student who tends to procrastinate and stays behind to finish his projects (and to see his newfound crush) 

jooheon- an experienced hacker who commits crimes and uses his technology skills to cover his tracks 

im/changkyun- younger,  less experienced hacker who is mentored and praised by jooheon 

hyungwon- a peculiar man who seems to control time


	2. art

paintbrushes, oil pastels, and watercolors were scattered across the supply table, soft music was playing in the background, and the smell of paints, fresh wood, clay, and various mediums filled the air.

minhyuk smiled to himself, unable to help but become excited whenever he was in the art room after school. it was so calming, so peaceful, and it took away all of his stress.

heavy footsteps against the tile floor gradually grew louder, to the point where minhyuk couldn't just not look.

his eyes fell from the artwork around him to art in human form- a tall, breathtakingly handsome boy whose muscular arms held bottles of primary acrylic paints.

his skin was the color of caramel, that looked as though the golden brown syrup was cascaded all over his body.

his eyes were the color of espresso, so deep and inviting, filling minhyuk's body with a rush of warmth.

his lips were the color of roses, resembling the flowers within the watercolor bouquet minhyuk painted last month.

all he could do was smile. the boyㅡan art major, just saw art in human form.

❝ _feel free, just see what i see,_  
 _you are very beautiful,_  
 _you are the only one in this world,_  
 _you are hidden in the dark corner, in small blooming greenery_ , ❞

 


	3. physics

kihyun sighed and threw away another crumpled paper.  he was frustrated,  he couldn't understand why he couldn't solve the stupid equations for time, velocity,  momentum,  kinetic energy,  and other dumb stuff he didn't need in his life.  he was on the verge of failing his class with a 69.5 and he knew his parents would not be pleased.  staying behind in class was the only thing he could resort to, after all,  he needed some time to himself to (try to) comprehend the functions of each formula.  _"i don't understand",_   he muttered,  pressing the pen against his temple in utter frustration.  moments later,  he buried his head in the torn up papers filled with mathematical scribbles,  sobbing over his failure as a student.  "hey," someone says,  tapping the desk kihyun was seated at.  the boy looked like trouble,  but damn,  trouble looked so good on him.  he was wearing a black motorcycle t-shirt with a leather jacket, jet black hair in a side part,  and a warm and endearing smile in contrast to his attire that made him seem so intimidating.  "what?" kihyun says coldly,  covering his face to hide his discomposed appearance.  "i can help you," he says sweetly,  smiling that stupid, dorky,  yet heartwarming smile.  before kihyun could reply,  the boy placed his warm, soft hand on his own to remove it from his face,  looking into kihyun's moist eyes.  kihyun felt something spark in his chest as his eyes met the seemingly older boy's eyes.  "o-okay," he stuttered,  moving towards the whiteboard to write down the problems. 

_❝ that guy is dangerous those mysterious eyes keep getting pulled to them, that’s me it’s growing bigger, the world called x falling into unknown emotions right now, you and me ❞_


	4. tech

changkyun and jooheon,  long-term,  inseparable best friends did something insane.  not only did they drop out of college together, but they somehow found an abandoned storage room in some random, near desolate location behind an apartment complex.  "y-you sure about this?" jooheon asked shakily,  carrying the cumbersome computer equipment towards the shady building.  "when have i ever been unsure about anything?" "being strㅡ" "shut the fuck up or i swear to god i'll strangle you with those computer cords. " the two have been close since middle school, confiding in each other when their lives became complicated.  slowly,  they fixed each other.  through late nights with pizza and soda,  to silent days of watching movies together,  or just days of one boy sobbing on the other's shoulder.  their families pressured them into attending college, landing them here,  as two dropped out tech majors in a shady little building behind an apartment complex.  adventure is an understatement when describing the years of their friendship.  jooheon sighed,  dropping the equipment atop a tattered table,  his hands reaching to touch his aching back.  "sorry, i wish the gps wasn't so bulky, i wouldn't helped you," changkyun said,  gently rubbing circles on the older boy's back, his puppy-like eyes widening in concern.  "don't worry about me, we have work to do."

_❝you need to learn from me right now now now now untie those knots pour it all out you gotta live your own y-o-l-o❞_


	5. time lord

time is an inevitable force.  sometimes,  we think it goes by too fast,  that we never get to fully experience the enjoyable moments that seem to end too soon.  other times,  we wished it'd just go by,   all of the unamusing things seemed to last so longㅡ too long for our liking.  nonetheless,  time is powerful,  and in the hands of one person,  it's the embodiment of a weaponㅡ a monster,  maybe even a living nightmare.  chae hyungwon knew this for too long,  the mundane life he once lived turned into a downwards spiral of strange occurrences and connections to things he didn't even know correlated with him.  and he had a task,  he was unsure about what it was, but it definitely had something to do with art,  technology,  and physics.  but when the hell and how the hell will he figure out what to do?  ironically enough,  the time lord doesn't know when to act.  he's lost. 

❝ _i’m still standing here with my eyes closed lost between the deserts and oceans i’m still wandering where should i go yeah_ ❞


	6. paintbrushes

lee minhyuk was elated to say the least.  he couldn't wait to see the precious boy who came to his most favorite place after school, the art room.

the art room was his most favorite place for 3 reasons now,  1. the art,  2. the peace,  and 3. _the_ art (aka son hyunwoo)

he couldn't stop smiling when he thought about him, he's a cute,  muscular guy who happens to be an art major... _does that not make him_ ** _extra_** _irresistible?_

minhyuk's thoughts were interrupted by footsteps again,  and this time the boy was carrying a large canvas. 

 _i guess he works on his art at home...  like what_ _ **i**_ _should be doing._ he thought,  playing with the sleeves of his shirt as he subtly watched the boy  through his peripheral vision. 

he placed the canvas on the easel with such care,  gently stroking his fingers across to ensure the paint didn't flake. 

and his artpieceㅡ it was _beautiful._

he was painting a black steam engine with various colors surrounding it,  which made it look mysterious,  as if it meant something _beyond_ what it appeared to be. 

the way he gently stroked lines of color onto the canvas made minhyuk envy it. 

"hey,  do you have a flat-tip brush?" the boy asked,  his deep voice so smooth that it sounded as though it was laced with honey. 

minhyuk's smile grew even brighter,  and son hyunwoo could've sworn that he was blinded. 

"sorry! here you go," minhyuk said awkwardly,  passing the brush to him. 

and then minhyuk's heart jumped to his throat. 

_their fingers touched._

  ~❁~

 

❝y _ou're still the main character of my day_  
_it’s never ending, never ending._  
_without you, this is a never ending story_  
_it’s never ending, never ending._  
_you're on my mind, you’re on my mind_ ❞

 

  ~❁~


	7. equations

kihyun found himself staying after school again,  just as frustrated as he was before. the professor jumped from kinetic energy and velocity to time and momentum in the span of a day. 

he couldn't keep track of the multitude of equations that were thrown at him,  and to make it worse, he had to memorize _all of them._

regardless of how frustrated physics class left him,  seeing the boy who offered to help him alleviated him. 

he walked in,  his smile as bright as ever,  carrying folders with notes. 

                   - **pov** **switch** -

hoseok felt even happier as his eyes fell upon the cute boy with curly ash-grey hair and glasses. 

whenever he looked at him,  he felt butterflies flutter in his stomach.  nonetheless,  he composed himself,  placing his notes down next to the boy. 

"by the way, i forgot to ask your name. " hoseok said,  his nonchalant tone masking his internal nervousness. 

"k-kihyun, yoo kihyun. you?"

"hoseok, shin hoseok."

kihyun nodded, biting his lips to conceal the smile that was slowly creeping its way onto his face.

hoseok talked through the problems and how to plug in the values for each equation,  slowly making things clearer to kihyun. 

hoseok,  however, couldn't concentrate when kihyun touched his lips as he focused on what the boy was saying.  it was so inviting,  his lips looked so soft and plump and redㅡ

"hoseok-ah?" kihyun called and hoseok snapped out of his rather invasive thoughts. 

"s-sorry,  you were saying?"

"i-i think this means something. these equations are for time and speed,  distanceㅡ travel!" kihyun said out of realization,  eyes widening as he looked over his work. 

"and?"

"there's some correlation.  there's no coincidence that we're plugging in the variables for time _and_ travel,  i really think this means something."

hoseok sighed,  his eyes absorbing the beautiful chocolaty color of kihyun's,  not paying attention to a word the younger boy muttered. 

he's so gorgeous,  he's so adorable,  and gosh,  he's such a _nerd_. 

he wished they could've met up on different circumstances, somewhere like an ice cream parlor or coffee shop instead of a boring math room with equally boring equations. 

❝ _what can i do but dream_  
_living in a dream all day_  
_i wanna have courage and invite you_  
_will you come to me? in my dream?❞_

 


	8. codes

changkyun and jooheon were curled up on a yoga mat, relying on each other for warmth. the rickety ventilation system was blowing cold air and dust into the room,  making it colder and even harder to sleep.  

 

nonetheless,  they wrapped their arms around each other,  their heads resting against each other's necks for warmth.  

 

it felt nice,  _too_ nice,  but jooheon figured that he should leave so he could "buy" some things for their tech lair house thing.  

 

he slowly unwrapped the younger boy's arms from around him and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead,  mainly because of how adorable and small he looked as he was curled up on the small mat. 

 

jooheon knew how to interfere with electricity in his favor,  and he knew if he deactivated the electricity the cameras couldn't film him and there would be no surveillance footage of him.  

 

he also knew how to pick a lock of any door, big,  small,  heavy,  glass,  wood,  whatever it may beㅡ he had many tricks up his sleeve.  

 

it was currently 2am,  meaning that practically no one would be out in thr city during this time,  and he left the improvised room, he left small changkyun,  and he hoped and prayed that nothing would go wrong as he left.  

 

jooheon worked his magic on the general supply store,  knocking out the power and unlocking the door.  

 

he grabbed snacks,  an air mattress,  sheets,  a chain lock,  drinks,  hygienic products,  and other basics for their place.  

 

he came back an hour later with a stolen shopping cart filled with the most random shit,  surprisingly unnoticed by _anyone._

 

when he returned,  the place was a _mess._

 

random items were upturned and scattered across the room,  and changkyun was sobbing on the ground,  his head buried in his lap.  

 

"changkyunnie,  i'm here,  don't cry," jooheon said,  pushing the cart aside so he could run up to changkyun and hold him.  

 

"i-i was s-so wo-worried." the younger boy cried,  burying his face in jooheon's chest.  

 

"babe,  it's okay,  i just went to buy some stuff for us." jooheon consoled,  gently kissing changkyun's cheek.  

 

after nearly an hour of calming the boy down,  they got to organizing the place and setting up their computers,  and after hours of tedious work,  the place began to come together.  

 

❝ _hold onto me even tighter babe_  
_pull me in even more_  
_let me be by your side_  
_with ya❞_


	9. sketches

a small smile graced minhyuk's lips as he was informed about their next assignment.

the assignment is a detailed portrait of someone with hidden details within the person's features. 

minhyuk already knew he would paint son hyunwoo,  and he'd hide small flowers within his prominent features such as his thick, rosy lips, beady eyes,  perfect hairㅡ he'll hide flowers everywhere. 

it's been a week of small interactions so far,  and hyunwoo and minhyuk were able to have small,  general conversations. 

it didn't bother minhyuk though,  he'd do anything to hear hyunwoo's smooth,  deep voice fill his ears like a thick syrup. 

_he'd do anything to drown in his voice._

                                ❁

"hyunwoo!" minhyuk excitedly called as the boy with the caramel complexion entered the room,  a small smile lighting up his eyes. 

hyunwoo didn't say hi back,  he simply smiled and let the glistening at the back of his eyes do the talk for him.

 _god_ ,  minhyuk loved talking to him with his eyes,  though everything was unspoken,  the little twinkles apparent in the boy's irises gave him a little spark in his heart. 

 _it was like love was radiating off of him,  only intended for one who takes time to stare into his eyes and decipher the messagesㅡ_ gosh,  that sounded so cheesy,  but being an art and literature nerd turned his every thought into a novel chapter,  filled with sugar coated language instead of stating things simply. 

_but he loved it._

and maybe,  just maybe hyunwoo loved it too. 

"what are you doing for the project?" minhyuk asked,  his voice a couple notes higher because he was internally screeching. 

"can't say," hyunwoo answers with a quick wink. 

a color resembling the pigmentation of a rose rushed to minhyuk's milky cheeks, making his feelings oh-so-obvious.

gosh,  only son hyunwoo could manage to make minhyuk melt with a simple 1 second gesture. 

_and he loved that._

"you?" hyunwoo tersely asked,  making minhyuk snap out of his sappy thoughts. 

"u-um, just some really ethereal art."   
and minhyuk wasn't lying. 

hyunwoo smirked that sly smirk that made the boy's heart pound out of his chest. 

"let's get started then."

                              ❁

after long minutes and maybe even an hour or so of rough sketches and mapping out the canvas,  minhyuk was satisfied with his work. 

he managed to sneakily glance at hyunwoo every few seconds so he could map out the boy's features,  and little did he know,  the latter was doing the same. 

"hey,  not to sound cheesy, but time seems to stop when i'm around you." minhyuk said, praying that he didn't turn red. 

"ah,  you're so cheesy,  even for an art and literature major." hyunwoo says with his signature chuckle,  shaking his head. 

"no,  seriously! the clock has been in the same position. look outside." minhyuk says,  gesturing to the windows that provided a view of the nearing sunset. 

minhyuk usually took the public bus that stopped the street across from their college,  but because of the time,  the next stop wasn't until 8:45pm,  and it was currently 7:30.

additionally,  it was dark out due to the wintertime, and he didn't have money to call a taxi and he didn't trust uber drivers. 

as if hyunwoo had read his mind,  he speaks up. 

"oh god,  you're right.  should i drive you home?"

"ah,  i don't know,  it's really late out and i'd hate for you to drive through the dark for a whole hour just to take me home. plus, you'd have to drive an hour back."

"y-you could stay the night," hyunwoo suggested,  his voice trailing off as a raspberry colored blush found its way onto his cheeks. 

"oh,  i'd love to!" minhyuk chirped,  jumping into the strong boy's arms,  encapturing him in a rather aggressive hug. 

he simply smiled and carried the boy out of the classroom and into the parking lot,  before releasing him so he could unlock his car. 

                            ❁

the car ride was filled with a comfortable silence, accompanied by soft music playing from the radio. 

"want a slushie or something?" hyunwoo asked as he pulled into the gas station. 

"i'll get a milkshake. i heard it brings all the boys to the yard."

shownu snorts from laughing so hard and minhyuk makes a dolphin-like noise,  clinging onto the older boy's bicep as they entered the store. 

"that's the gayest thing i've ever heard." hyunwoo says after his giggles died down. 

"other than minhyuk. jeez, with my name,  you'd expect me to introduce myself by saying 'hi,  i'm minhyuk,  i like cock'." he said in a sing-songy voice,  making sure that "혁" and "cock" sounded the same.

hyunwoo bursts out laughing again and minhyuk keeps telling jokes because he wants to hear the boy laugh over and over again. 

"the worst part is that it almost rhymes." he adds,  and hyunwoo pants from all of the laughing. 

"stop,  i'm gonna cry." hyunwoo says,  his eyes watering from his constant chuckling. 

minhyuk smiles and slides his hand down from the boy's bicep to his hand,  leading him over to the milkshake machine. 

                                 ❁

"why are you drenching it in so much caramel?" hyunwoo asked as he watched minhyuk aggressively squeeze the bottle. 

"i have a thing for caramel," minhyuk said,  winking before grabbing a straw. 

hyunwoo didn't get it,  but he smiled anyway. 

                                 ❁

before they knew it,  they were making out in the car, illuminated by the bright light of the gas station contrasting the dark night sky. 

hyunwoo's lips were so soft,  his kisses were so gentle,  even when his tongue explored the younger boy's mouth, everything was so smooth,  gentle, and loving. 

he'd stroke minhyuk's honey colored hair as minhyuk cupped the boy's caramel colored cheeks.

gosh, it felt so good. 

they both came down from the euphoric rush and shyly got back in their respective seats,  blushing as hyunwoo reversed next to the gas pump. 

as he got out to fill the car,  minhyuk fanned his face before putting a hand to his chest,  wishing that his heart would just _calm the fuck down,_ and he reminisced on the events that happened moments earlier before bringing his index finger to his now swollen lips. 

maybe they kissed because of all of the suggestive jokes,  maybe it was because of the sugar high,  maybe it was because  they were out of their minds and had nothing better to do. 

nonetheless,  minhyuk loved it,  but he chose not to bring it up. 

                               ❁

they made it to hyunwoo's apartment and minhyuk would constantly sip his milkshake to avoid conversation, especially since they'd just kissed. 

hyunwoo had a very small apartment located near the downtown area,  only providing enough room for sleeping and a mini kitchen upfront. 

honestly,  it looked like a hotel room,  or somewhere within an extended stay. 

minhyuk took note of this and supposed it was because he didn't have a roommate,  so he didn't need much space. 

plus,  city apartments are expensive. 

"i'll sleep on the flㅡ"

"no!" minhyuk practically yelled. 

"i mean, no,  you don't have to sleep on the floor because of me.  let's sleep together. i meanㅡ fuck, that sounded suggestive."

hyunwoo smirked and showed minhyuk around the apartment. 

afterwards, he took a shower and decided to get changed into the clothes hyunwoo picked out for him, a giant shirt and even more giant pants.

the boxers pretty much fell off of the thin boy's waist, and _gosh_ ,  he couldn't help but think dirty. 

he came out of the bathroom butt-naked, causing the older to stutter in shock. 

"your clothes are too big.  plus, i like sleeping naked."

with burning cheeks,  hyunwoo did his best to peel his eyes off of the boy's perfect, lean body, scooting to one side as the younger made himself comfortable. 

the boy quickly fell asleep,  and hyunwoo admired him as his face softened in his slumber. 

his skin, his hair, his face, everything was so perfect.

his chest looked as though it was carved out by angels, and the way the  silk sheets accented his body made him look like he was in a painting.

_a painting._

with that idea in hyunwoo's mind,  he quickly grabbed his extra sketch book from his bedside table, taking his time to make precise strokes across the paper. 

screw his old idea, he found something better. 


	10. silk

_**this is part 2 of the** _ _**showhyuk** _ _**chapter because it was really long and i didn't want to have so many words in one part. consequently, i added another part.** _

_**disclaimer: you're gonna need some major holy water after reading this** _

the silk sheets felt so nice against minhyuk's bare skin. what wasn't so pleasant, though, was the fact that he woke up in the middle of the night which brought him to notice. 

he heard rustling next to him,  and he sees hyunwoo, eyebrows furrowed as he sketched on his pad. 

"whatcha drawing?" minhyuk asked,  his voice slightly groggy from just waking up.  according to the alarm clock,  it was 2am,  which wasn't as early as he thought it would be. 

"fuck," hyunwoo muttered, slamming the book closed. 

minhyuk simply smirked and sat up in bed, reaching over to grab it. he was obviously too quick for hyunwoo and turned the pages,  revealing an immensely detailed sketch of minhyuk,  half-naked,  bathed in the silk sheets that hid the remainder of his bare body. 

hyunwoo turned around and buried his head in his hands,  his face burning from embarrassment. 

he didn't expect to stay up for hours perfecting his sketch of the ethereal boy beside him. . .or get caught doing so. 

before he could explain,  minhyuk pulled the boy closer to him before wrapping his arms around his neck,  straddling his hips with his thin legs before leaning in to kiss him for the second time today. 

all hyunwoo could focus on were the boy's inviting,  soft looking,  red lips.

before they new it,  those soft kisses and languid touches turned into heavy making outㅡ barely letting either boys breathe,  hazy vision,  and soft moaning. 

hyunwoo ran his hands along minhyuk's baby soft skin,  moving further and further up his thighs until he let his hands settle on the boy's ass,  gripping and pulling it towards him as they kissed even more. 

 _everything_ was cloudy, minhyuk's vision nearly went white from how immersed he was in the feeling,  from hyunwoo's intoxicating lips and the way his hips moved against his own, and the loss of air from kissing so passionately,  for so long. 

they pulled apart,  and hyunwoo took use of that time to peel off his shirt,  revealing his bronze statuesque torso,  glistening with a thin layer of sweat. 

minhyuk tugged at the waistband of his pants,  gently pulling it as much as he could before hyunwoo did the rest. 

 _g_ _od,_ his body was gorgeous. 

he locked his eyes with hyunwoo's expresso colored ones,  having a conversation though no words were exchanged. 

minhyuk's lips curled,  a smirk quickly spreading across his face as he leaned towards the boy's ear. 

"what do you want me to do?" he asked,  his voice breathy and extremely sexy. 

"j-just touch me," hyunwoo said,  his voice laced with desperation. 

"okay," he whispered before kissing his ear, biting a trail down the side of hyunwoo's neck before continuing down his chest. 

he got back up,  smiling that endearing, heartwarming smile that made hyunwoo melt. 

he slid his hand into the boy's underwear, moving his hand in a circular motion while gently pressing his lips against the other boy's,  who occasionally broke the kiss as he groaned from the younger boy's gentle grasp. 

he bent down in front of the boy and hooked his finger in the seam of his boxers, giving him a quick questioning look for consent, earning a nod from the older. 

he pulled the boy's boxers all the way down and wrapped his lips around the tip of hyunwoo's length,  lowering himself further and further to first coat it with saliva. 

he didn't break eye contact with the boy as his head bobbed up and down,  and occasionally swallowed the small spurts of cum that spilled into his mouth. 

hyunwoo shut his eyes and let out a drawn out moan,  the sound so sinful yet melodic,  almost encouraging the boy to do even moreㅡ just so he could hear the sound oncemore. 

at this point,  hyunwoo's fingers were tangled in the younger boy's hair,  tugging at his scalp and pushing him further and further until minhyuk's mouth enveloped the whole thing. 

he soon became unable the heat, or this wonderful,  overwhelming sensation anymore,  and came inside of minhyuk's mouth before laying back down, panting. 

minhyuk was breathless,  his mouth still dripping as he inhaled and exhaled raggedly,  licking his lips before crawling into the older boy's lap,  engaging in another fiery kiss. 

as they pulled apart,  hyunwoo's eyes focused on the boy in front of him,  who took on a whole new kind of beauty in the soft glow of the warm lamp. 

he kissed along minhyuk's jawline,  and then his adam's apple before biting along his pale neck,  taking his untouched (and surprisingly hard) length in his hand as he did so. 

soft,  sinful moans resonated within the room as minhyuk was on his back,  getting kissed and touched like never before.

his eyes squeezed shut as he became fully engrossed in the way hyunwoo made him feel,  his mind going completely blank as he let each kiss and touch take over all of his thoughts. 

  ❁ 

  
before they knew it, hyunwoo was thrusting into minhyuk,  his legs trembling from the force,  nonetheless,  he basked in the enjoyable,  arousing pain. 

he was getting pounded into the fluffy pillows behind him, his hair was bouncing and getting in his face,  and sweat trickled down his forehead. 

he enjoyed the view of the incredibly handsome, actually perfect,  and beautiful hyunwoo that was above him,  the sweat drenching his body making him look even sexierㅡ if that was even _possible._

    ❁

moments later they were done,  panting, sweating and holding each other as they regained their breath,  still unable to comprehend anything after the experience. 

hyunwoo turned out the lamp and pressed a gentle kiss to the smaller boy's forehead,  enclosing him in warmth from the blankets and his own body heat, especially because they were naked and the night was cold.

they both couldn't believe that it happened, but boy, they now had art inspiration for numerous projects to come. 


	11. variables

nervousness hit kihyun like a bullet.

he was scribbling all over the board, struggling to solve the one equation that's been bugging him the most within the unit. 

the two variables, time and travel were supposed to be combined,  but it failed to make sense whatsoever.

he tried erasing, rewriting, referring back to his notes, and simply pausing to see where he went wrong. 

the board was now covered in black streaks and random numbers and words everywhere. 

he crossed out the invalid equations,  and from left to right,  top to bottom,  the board was covered in red marks. 

_time travel doesn't exist,  so why were they learning about something this dumb and pointless?_

just as he was about to give up,  hoseok entered the classroom,  that same heartwarming smile apparent,  even as his head was down. 

"need help?" he asked,  his smile now turning into a smirk at the sight of small, adorable,  stressed kihyun.

"yes." he sighed,  putting down the expo marker. 

he sat back and watched hoseok go through the problems with ease,  despite the fact that they'd just started this unit. 

"so let me show youㅡ"

"wait!" kihyun screeched. he was in utter shock, after all,  the answer actually meant something. 

4155102M

he rushed to scrawl the equation before packing up his bag, rushing to head out before he was stopped by a hand on the wrist. 

"what? what's so important about this?" hoseok asked,  his grip firm on the smaller boy's wrist. 

"you wouldn't understand.  the answer is a place,  not a number.  this leads somewhere! c'mon,  it's no coincidence that we've been learning about the equation for time and travel and all of a sudden, the answer is a place. there's a wormhole."

"a _what?_ "

"look,  it sounds really stupid and just a few seconds ago i thought so too,  but it's all too clear to ignore.  i'm heading there."

there was no way to distract him,  he was dead-set on chasing this imaginary break in time and space,  and now hoseok was caught in the middle of it. 

_what could he do to distract him?_

without thinking,  he pulled kihyun towards him,  his hands moving from the boy's wrist to the sides of his face. 

 _gosh_ , his face was so beautiful; from his soft looking, captivating red lips, to the clear tan skin where all his features rested. 

he had beautiful,  big, sparkly brown eyes, accented by the nerdy grandmother-like glasses he was wearing. 

his hair was cute and curly and soft looking, his dimples in the middle of his cheeks were adorable, and sometimes hoseok would intentionally say a joke every now and then just to see them deepen as he smiled. 

his nose was adorable,  and would occasionally scrunch up when he sang to himself. 

not that hoseok was a creepㅡ he just happened to hear him sing occasionally and couldn't feel anything but drawn to the soothing melody. 

and here he was,  right in front of him, studying his face just as attentively as the boy studied math. 

and he kissed him. 

he closed his eyes and pressed his lips against the boy's plush,  supple lips and immersed himself in the euphoric rush he got the second their skin touched. 

the boy shyly blushed as they pulled away, taken aback by the fact that out of all people, the hot popular boy kissed _him,_ the math nerd. 

and that five second contact was enough to distract him from the one thing he spent hours thinking aboutㅡ well, other than hoseok himself. 


	12. footage

it was nighttime,  changkyun and jooheon were in a tech lab,  somehow managing to access the city database. 

they weren't able to do it in their improvised place due to them being in such a secluded area,  but the public computer lab was the perfect place to get access. 

tech-savvy changkyun had just managed to get into the city's security footage,  reviewing the many moving boxes of the running facilities. 

what caught his eye was the video of a man in a train station,  standing outside of the train like he was facing his impeding departure from the world or something. 

he opened it,  furrowing his eyebrows as he tried to figure out what was going on. 

"he looks confused.  are outbound trains even operating at this hour?" jooheon asked, glancing at the time which read 10:55pm. 

"i think he's waiting for something, i just don't know what."

"maybe the train's kind of running on it's own and he's waiting for it to stop."

"dude, that's dumb. there's a driver,  you know."

"maybe it _can't_ stop."

"meaning?"

"that he needs someone to shut off the power or something. . ."

"we can't confirm that without asking him."

"we can't just sit here and not try."

"lim changkyun,  you're actually insane."

"and that's why you love me."

so,  changkyun went into the city's power supply,  knowing well enough that at this time,  the tech lab would shut down within minutes anyways, and no one was there except for the few staff that walked along the hallways. 

"on my cue, three,  two,  one,"

with that,  he disabled the power of the whole entire city. 

the little city lights that illuminated the place went out,  twinkling much like the stars in the sky. 

the view was beautiful,  and silence blanketed the city second-by-second. 

jooheon was mesmerized by the view of the city,  much like the stars and constellations in the sky, but much closer. 

and changkyun's smile grew even wider as he saw jooheon's precious reaction. 

he wanted  to kiss him right then and there. he's always wanted to kiss someone under the comforting blanket of nightfall, and for some reason,  showing affection in the dark just seemed more enticing. 

jooheon was only perceptible in the glow of the flickering emergency light,  and changkyun couldn't bring himself to look away from him, with his beautiful puppy-like eyes twinkling with wonder. 

he captured his lips in a quick,  soft,  gentle kiss before reverting to his tech-savvy self,  not even allowing either of them to process what had just happened.

"okay,  and now." changkyun said shakily,  trying his best not to falter in front of jooheon. 

they turned the city power back on,  and the footage now showed the man inside of the train, staring into the security camera intently. 

he cracked a small smile before making himself comfortable in the seat, letting the train take him to god-knows-where. 

and jooheon and changkyun ran out of the building,  hand-in-hand like mischievous highschoolers who'd just vandalized a building at night. 

jooheon's soft,  pudgy hand felt cushiony against changkyun's small palm,  and he smiled to himself as he panted from all of the running. 

_he loved this._


	13. speed

**flashback**

_h_ _yungwon_ _was sprinting,  running as fast as he could to catch the only operating train._

_"it'd be here",  they said,  yet nothing really caught his eye._

_he dropped his hourglass in the dizzying chase,  the sand spilling as it was liberated by the cracking of the glass._

_the sound was so loudㅡ too loud for something so small,  but he shook his head,  running to the far end of the train station._

_collecting his breath,  he bent over and panted._

_what was he doing?  what was he chasing if there was nothing that evidently had some sort of correlation with his_ _journey?_

_journey. . .travel.  . .train?_

_he wanted to board the train,  he waited a minute,  two minutes,  five minutes,  even ten,  but it didn't stop moving._

_what the hell?_

_is there something he isn't understanding here?_

_he looked around the place,  like somehow someone was watching him and could give him an indication as to where to go._

_trains aren't automatic.  .  . so how is it still moving?_

_just as he was about to try another route,  the lights all went off,  and a loud screeching noise resonated within the train station._

_sparks flew as the train came to a screeching halt, and_ _hyungwon_ _knew that his best bet was to try to get on it,  in the dark._

_someone is helping him,  but who?_

_he tried to pry open the door,  but his efforts came to no avail,  so he tried to jump and hold on,  resulting in him somehow falling... through?_

_he looked up at the camera as the lights turned back on,  cracking a small smile as he realized that someone must be out there watching him._

_"thank you," he mouthed before sitting down._

so now here he was,  stuck on this unceasing train. 

it's been hours,  nothing has happened,  everything was confusing,  what was he supposed to do? 

and as if his thoughts were heard,  he crumpled up piece of paper slid from the front of the vehicle down to where he was,  and he picked it up. 

_**complete the puzzle.** _

_"what puzzle?"_ he wanted to ask. 

and he thought about it over and over again. 

a puzzle requires many pieces to reveal a full picture. 

so maybe,  he needed multiple things that were the same as him to compete this so-called puzzle. 

_he needed people._


	14. canvas

hyunwoo and minhyuk didn't bring up the times that they've kissed,  or exchanged affection through more _explicit ways._

actually, they reverted to their shy art students soft of phase, working on an even newer project. 

their paintings were supposed to correlate with time or travel, and minhyuk decided to paint an hourglass whereas hyunwoo began to paint a train. 

a soft, thick silence filled the air as they worked,  and minhyuk didn't try to break it as he usually did. 

he just dipped his small paintbrush into the palette,  mixing indigo and white to create a pastel blue,  which he used to draw the details of the hourglass. 

he realized that the bristles were a bit too messy and made the lines thicker than he preferred,  so he turned around and knew what he had to do. 

"hey,  hyunwoo, can i borrow the small brush?" he asked,  pointing over to the jar of clean brushes next to they boy's easel. 

there was a short silence,  and then hyunwoo handed him the brush, and their hands accidentally touched. 

his fingers lingered on minhyuk's for longer than he expected,  and after taking a look into the boy's glittery eyes,  hyunwoo quickly smiled before whipping around to collect his breath. 

when he turned around, though, he hit the jar and knocked it over,  and a ringing noise resonated within his ears. 

he squeezed his eyes shut and touched his head in the sudden pain, and he saw something. 

_an hourglass fell,  shattering to the ground.  the small particles of sand and broken glass littered the concrete floor of the train station.  leather shoes pattered against the ground at an increasing rate... chasing something._

"are you okay?" that hushed,  familiar voice asked,  and all hyunwoo could see at the moment were his lips. 

those small,  pink, plush lips. 

he nodded weakly and sat himself up as minhyuk guided him gently with a hand on his back. 

"i-i saw something."

"i believe you.  strange things have been happening around here... and i literally have no fucking idea what they could mean."

"me neither."

"but let's not worry about that, okay? i'll take you to my place just to make sure you're alright."

"but---"

"no buts.  i'll cook, make you tea,  get you an ice pack,  and give you aspirin if you need it. that's definite. don't you dare argue with me son hyunwoo."

"okay mom."

with that reply,  minhyuk smacked hyunwoo right on the head,  but realized that he was being even more of an idiot because that's where he just got hurt. 

"ow."

"hey,  at least you'll indefinitely stay over now."

"ah,  i suppose."

and those cute little pink lips curled up into a nearly evil smile as he helped hyunwoo up and packed his things so they could head to his place. 

                                 ❁

minhyuk's apartment was absolutely adorable. 

hanging plants were tucked in practically any corner possible,  small cacti and succulents were placed on counters and tables,  making the place have small pops of green. 

fairy lights were strung all around his room,  giving the boring white walls some sort of adornment,  along with small paintings and drawings that he posted on the walls. 

he also had album art and posters of celebrities and models,  magazines stacked in a corner,  and an area where he kept all of his perfumes,  cosmetics,  and jewelry. 

_he's so cute._

"well,  just sit back in the couch and watch tv if you want.  i'll get you an ice pack,  aspirin,  and some tea before i start cooking."

and as hyunwoo laid back,  a small smile graced his face, and his pain seemed to be instantly reduced. 

minhyuk emerged from the kitchen with a sweet smile on his face,  and he gently placed the ice pack at the side of his head,  bending down to press a quick kiss against the bruise. 

his sparkling eyes met hyunwoo's startled ones,  and his smile grew even wider. 

"what,  they say it makes the boo-boos go away." he said in a childish tone,  and his cheeks rose and pushed his eyes up into the shapes of crescents. 

it was _adorable._

"well,  um,  minhyuk... my lips kind of hurt." hyunwoo said,  a small smirk growing as he let those words leave his mouth. 

at that,  minhyuk cupped his face and leaned in to kiss him gently,  his soft,  small,  plush lips pressing against his thicker ones delightfully. 

his long, bony fingers found themselves tangled in hyunwoo's short,  dark hair,  and hyunwoo's were found around the boy's waist. 

minhyuk was now perched on his lap,  kissing him intensely to the point where he felt like passing out. 

they pulled away, and minhyuk smiled at him while biting his bottom lip, heaving from the loss of air. 

"here's the tea and aspirin if you need it,  i'll get cooking now." and he turned on his heel to face him once again,  as if he forgot something. 

"and this is in case they _really_ hurt," he said, pecking his lips quickly before running into the kitchen. 

and hyunwoo suddenly didn't feel the pain anymore. 

maybe it was because of the kisses,  the ice pack, or because of minhyuk's sweet gestures. 

because now there wasn't pain in his head,  but fluttering in his stomach. 


	15. exponentials

kihyun's heart jumped out of his chest as he entered the classroom after school. 

hoseok was there first--- he was _never_ there first,  which made his stomach twist and flutter and his cheeks burn. 

_what's going on?_

"u-um,  kihyun," hoseok began,  rummaging through his bag before gathering  a paper bag and a single flower,  along with a note. 

"take these." he said nervously, pushing the items towards kihyun, his cute,  puppy-like eyes growing wider in surprise. 

_look,  i'm not really good with words (hence my major in physics) but i really want to tell you something.  ever since i first helped you,  i noticed a little sparkle in your beautiful brown eyes that held your view of the world.  your curly hair was so adorable and soft looking and i really want to smooth it back and kiss you on the forehead.  you're so small and precious... you look so fragile.  i just want to protect you.  i want to hold you close and smother you with love and scare off anyone who tries to hurt you.  gosh,  i've become so obsessed with you,  but since we only get to see each other for academic reasons,  i became so sick of it and decided to just confess._

_yoo kihyun,  i'm obsessed with you ♡_

kihyun's small smile graced his lips and grew wider and wider until his small dimples below his eyes resurfaced. a pink tint spread across his cheeks and he covered his face. 

he opened the bag and there were two small sugar covered doughnuts from the french bakery down the street. 

and the flower,  it was a beautiful red carnation,  with thin and dainty petals that looked like they were made of tissue paper.  there was a small tag attached to the stem,  and kihyun decided to read it. 

_the red carnation symbolizes pride,  love,  and admiration._

kihyun blushed even harder and decided to take a small whiff of the flower to see if it smelled as pretty as it looked. 

it smelled like cloves and had a slight hint of a rose-like scent, and a slight peppery scent.  nonetheless,  he liked it,  and for some reason,  the scent reminded him of hoseok himself. 

"thank you." kihyun shyly said,  moving towards hoseok's side of the table to hug him. 

hoseok wrapped his arms around the boy's waist and practically towered over him,  making him feel small and protected. 

he buried his head in hoseok's chest and inhaled his deep scent,  which had notes of spice,  like the flower the boy gave him. 

he smiled and melted into his embrace, pulling him even closer and closing his eyes. 

"ah,  you're so cute." hoseok said,  kissing kihyun on the very top of his head. 

he tilted his head up and smiled adorably,  and hoseok kissed him on the tip of his nose. 

"i have some banana milk in my backpack. let's eat these doughnuts together." kihyun said in his small, cute voice,  and broke from the embrace,  excitedly pulling out two milk boxes from his bag. 

and for the remainder of the hour,  they ate the pastries and drank the sweet milk, smiling at each other the whole time. 

hoseok would occasionally crack a joke just to see the boy smile, and at other times kihyun would hum or sing softly to fill in the silence. 

after a while,  kihyun agreed to go home with hoseok and cooked for him (which he stubbornly suggested in order to repay hoseok for the doughnut).

the kitchen was filled with the savory scent of ramyun and hoseok smiled as the scent drifted into his nostrils. 

kihyun excitedly cooked the ramyun,  which was coincidentally hoseok's favorite meal, and the boy finished those hot,  spicy noodles within seconds because they were that good. 

kihyun smiled to himself and after cleaning up,  he followed hoseok into the room to get clothes and shower. 

hoseok handed him a soft,  baby blue sweater which looked a little big but very comfortable and adorable. 

he took it from the older boy's hands along with a pair of brand new boxers and smiled, gently closing the bathroom door behind him as he stepped in to shower. 

he beamed and smiled brightly as the warm water ran down his back,  because all he could think about was how great his day went and how sweet shin hoseok is. 

after exiting the shower,  he curled himself right against hoseok's body,  and hoseok smiled and pulled him closer. 

he looked absolutely adorable in the color blue,  not to mention that the sweater was oversized and hit mid-thigh,  and it was fluffy and soft to the touch. 

and all hoseok wanted to say was,  " _darling, you look so stunning in blue"._

kihyun caught onto the boy's staring and crawled onto his lap, straddling his hips with his small legs. 

hoseok's eyes traveled along kihyun's milky thighs, and his hands found their ways there too,  gently holding him in place. 

kihyun leaned down,  smoothed hoseok's hair out of his face, and kissed him,  with the most passion and intensity that's ever been present in this innocent,  inexperienced boy. 

his fingers were entangled in his hair,  and hoseok's slowly dragged along kihyun's thighs, setting his skin on fire. 

kihyun cupped hoseok's face and pulled it closer to his own, deepening the kiss by biting on his bottom lip,  which made hoseok part them almost immediately. 

hoseok tasted like strawberries and spice, an odd yet enjoyable combination and soon enough,  he became addicted,  kissing the boy under the soft lighting of his bedside lamp until his vision went hazy. 

they soon parted and kihyun gave hoseok a soft,  innocent smile, turned the lamp out,  and curled into hoseok's comfortable, strong body. 

he wrapped his arms around the small boy and kissed his forehead,  whispering sweet little nothings into his ears until he heard soft snores.

and he,  too,  drifted off to sleep,  still pressed against the small boy with a soft sweater and even softer,  more delicate skin. 


	16. circuits

"something's happening." was the only thing lim changkyun could conclude as he ran along with lee jooheon,  hand-in-hand,  along the freeway. 

"what the fuck do you mean?" 

  
"look,  there's no signal,  and someone's been following us.  i went to the store and came back,  spying someone right outside of our room."

"and?" 

  
"that means we need to fucking leave!  he was probably an fbi agent or something... we could get in legal trouble for what we did." 

"so?" 

  
"there's a tower near this freeway which should give us enough bandwidth to go into the security footage."

"and why do we need to get into that footage?  i mean,  we already helped that guy." 

  
"look,  i saw myself on the fucking footage and i've never been on these trains in my life."

"that's weird..." 

  
"yeah,  not to mention the other weird shit that's been going on lately.  we can't go into an internet cafe since we're apparently being _searched for,_ but maybe we can figure something out over here."

"dude..."

 

"what?" 

 

"this might sound really stupid,  but what if there's some time travel shit going on around here? i mean,  if we've never been on those trains yet there's a security clip of you,  that man's been waiting for like,  ever,  for some sort of cue,  he walks around with an old ass watch for god's sake, and he looks familiar..." 

 

"lee jooheon... you're a fucking genius." 

 

"and that's why you love me."

 

"who said i loved you?" 

 

"you kissed me the other day,  i'm not stupid." 

 

"yeah...well...about tha---" 

 

jooheon interrupted him with his plush lips against changkyun's soft, thinner ones,  and the latter could've sworn that his heart jumped out of his chest.  

 

"just stop being stupid,  okay?  you're a terrible liar and sometimes you really lack common sense." 

 

"and?"

 

"i love that about you,  ya fucking numbskull.  anyways, we have work to do.  i know i'm irresistible but we have a goal here... and we're trying not to like... get arrested." 

 

"okay."

 

changkyun pouted but resumed their work,  searching the database for any sort of connection.  

 

there was literally nothing.  

 

**_"dude,  i think they wiped our network."_ **

 


	17. fragments

they didn't know that the fragments of moments that they shared would be no more.  

 

that those small seconds of pure happiness, jubilance, love, and affection would slip through their fingers like the sand of the shattered hourglass.  

 

∞

 

_**for** _ _**hoseok** _ _**,  maybe his best moments,  the last pleasurable moments that he'll recall are the ones he shared with the adorable boy with cute dimples and sparkly eyes who looks absolutely stunning in blue.** _

  
_the soft fabric felt so nice underneath his fingertips and as he trailed his fingers along kihyun's hot, soft skin._

_"you're so beautiful,"_

_he littered soft kisses along his neck._

_"so precious,"_

_he trailed kisses down his chest._

_"all mine,"_

_he said, capturing his lips in a soft,  affectionate kiss,  his hands going everywhere._

_and their kisses became more_ _ravenous_ _, to the point where they felt like they couldn't breathe,  but kihyun was aroused by the way the boy pinned his arms down,  kissed him hard,  and suffocated him with his strawberry lips._

_he didn't want to breathe._

_and little did they both know,  those were the last, less panicked moments they'd spend together._

∞

 

**_and for_ ** **_changkyun_ ** **_,  maybe the best moment was  the one where they turned the power out,  and the city lights twinkled out,  one-by-one,  much like the stars in the sky._ **

 

_the adorable look on_ _jooheon's_ _face,  from the sparkle in his eyes to the smile that played on his thick lips were enough to make his heart melt._

 

_when he tucked_ _jooheon's_ _soft hair behind his ear and kissed him in the dark,  immersing himself in his saccharine scent,  along with his soft,  comforting embrace._

 

_he didn't want to admit it,  but he was in love with the boy,  absolutely head over heels,  but because of the plight they were in,  they couldn't do much about it._

 

_the next day,  they always had something new to face._

 

∞  
**_for_** ** _hyunwoo_** ** _,  his favorite moment is_** ** _definitely_** ** _the one where he went to the gas station with minhyuk._**

 

_from the jokes exchanged to the lighthearted laughing,_ _minhyuk's_ _sparkly eyes and his beautiful eye smile,  his soft hands, and his sweet voice, he was in love._

 

_and when things took an unexpected turn,  his heart pounded against his ribcage._

 

_his legs straddling his own,  his fingers in his hair,  his soft lips on his,  the soft moaning, his smooth tongue, everything about minhyuk,  everything they shared was his favorite moment._

 

∞  
**_and hyungwon's favorite moment was the one in which he didn't have all of this uncontrollable,  inevitable power within his hands.  when he was somewhat normal._**

 

_he remembered his beloved,  the boy who'd drive through the night to bring him his favorite food and watch movies with him._

 

_the boy who'd give him the softest,  slowest,  most affectionate kisses just because._

 

_the boy who treated him like he was so precious,  and so fragile._

 

_he chased those moments,  he just hoped that if this cycle ever seemed to end,  he'd get to spend those moments with him again._

 

_but the bot will never remember him,  hell,  he may not even talk to him,  he may fall for_ _someone else._

 

_and that angered him,  that diminished his hope,  and that made him hate the power he had._

 

_**he hated holding on to fragments of moments that he'd** _ _** never ** _ _**get to fully relive.** _

 

∞

 

i hope i didn't confuse anyone but this book isn't over yet ;) 

 

there's one last segment (3 chapters + 1 of everyone) and then an epilogue.  

  
and oof there's gonna be some beef with hyungwon coming up and i'm excited to let this whole plot unravel. 

anyways,  i hope you guys have been enjoying this fic and idk... i'll probably make a sequel (or even a prequel which goes along with dramarama...holy shit that'd be cool) or a new book or something if ya guys really like it :)


	18. showcase

"hyunwoo,  come on." minhyuk said, rushing to hurriedly pack his things as he's just gotten an email that the art showcase was going to be held downtown,  and the nearest train was departing in 10 minutes. 

"okay, but this seems so sudden... wouldn't the art department let us know ahead of time?" 

  
"look, don't question them.  we have a grade on the line."

hyunwoo hummed,  masking his uncertainty with the gesture,  his strong,  hardened features unwavering despite the doubt twisting at the pit of his stomach.

"you still don't believe me." minhyuk snapped, his lips turning downwards into a frown. 

"look,  i just don't know.  i thought that station was closed for major renovation like 3 months ago." 

  
"what do you think it could mean then?" minhyuk sighed,  sliding down the wall that his back was against. 

"show me the email." 

  
"c'mon that's pointless,  i told you---"

"show. me. the. email." hyunwoo asserted,  his eyebrows knitting together and his jaw tightening.  

  
from this,  minhyuk was scared. 

"okay,  okay."

_welcome to the 3rd annual art showcase!_

_art majors are required to present their projects at the downtown art studio!_

_if you take the public transport,  the train at 514_ _montre_ _street station will be the most convenient for your transportation means._

_thank you,  and we hope to see you there!  (otherwise,_ _you'd_ _fail_ _the_ _course)_

"minhyukkie, this makes no sense.  first off,  there isn't even a teacher's account or school contact information attached. also,  why would they only suggest the train when you need to go on a bus or something to get down the street from the station,  unless you'd prefer walking all that distance.  baby,  there's so many things wrong with this." 

  
minhyuk nodded in agreement.  he tended to be quite gullible and was quick to jump to conclusions without gathering any background information. 

"i think we should still go,  just with less stuff.  after all,  who knows what bad guys we'll have to beat up."

hyunwoo giggles at this.  

 

"this isn't a james bond movie,  but yes,  i agree that we should go." 

  
minhyuk smiled and grabbed hyunwoo's hand as they exited. 

he only had protective items in his pocket,  and of course,  his phone, and hyunwoo brought a flashlight because he could've sworn that the place was either abandoned or under construction. 

∞

 

"babe,  i'm scared," minhyuk said,  gripping his hand even harder as they made their way into the tunnel that lead to the underground portion of the station.  

 

"it's okay,  i'm here," hyunwoo said, pausing to place a quick kiss on the boy's hand that was entangled with his.  

 

he smiled and they continued to venture in the dark,  eerie tunnel,  which was only illuminated by their flashlights.  

 

in the distance, they could hear the faint screeching of a train,  which was odd because the place seemed empty,  and nearly desolate.  

 

minhyuk's lips quivered at the loud,  unpleasant screeching.  

 

hyunwoo tried to calm him down,  but he could tell that he was still awfully worried.  

 

"wait!" hyunwoo yelled,  causing minhyuk to pause mid-step.  

 

"there's shattered glass and sand all over the ground." 

 

"someone dropped something." 

 

"okay,  but be careful.  and maybe we should follow the small grains of sand. i'm sure if someone was here, they were the only one, and maybe something odd is going on with them." 

 

"good thinking." 

 

the spread of sand stopped only a couple steps north of the incident,  but they decided to keep going in that direction.  

 

and suddenly, the walls opened into panel-like structures.  

 

"what the hell?" 

 

minhyuk pulled hyunwoo by his hand and stuck his foot inside of the empty space,  dragging them both through.  

 

"holy shit!" 

 

it was like a whole new station,  a train continuously running and screeching from time to time,  and a tall,  black blur visible from the train windows.  

 

"there's someone in there." 

 

"okay,  but how the hell do we get in?" 

 

"how we got inside that panel." 

 

"you mean..." 

 

"yes,  just fucking step in and hope we don't die." 

 

"you're insane." 

 

"did you not see what _just happened?"_

 

"okay,  but in case this goes wrong,  i should kiss you for the last time." 

 

and so they did.  

 

hyunwoo cupped minhyuk's face and the latter tugged on hyunwoo's varsity jacket,  pulling him closer to kiss him fiercely,  ravenously,  and affectionately.  

 

the kiss was too quick,  too rushed,  and ultimately too awkward to be enjoyable or loving, and they quickly parted,  ready (or maybe only seemingly prepared) for whatever they were getting themselves into.  

 

"okay, 3,2,1, go!" 

 

and they both jumped,  somehow making their way inside of the train,  tumbling in and accidentally tangling their limbs together.  

 

_"i'm guessing i'm missing the four other pieces."_ an unfamiliar voice said,  and the two boys looked up in wonder.  

 

**"i'm sorry,** _**what?** _ **"**

 


	19. coefficients

"get ready, we're going soon." 

 

"w-where?"

 

"i know what place you mentioned the other day.  i just didn't want to go there because it seems dangerous and quite creepy.  but it seems as though at this point... we _have_ to." 

 

kihyun wanted to ask why... why all of a sudden they had to go to this place that hoseok somehow knew.  

 

but he decided to push that thought to the very back of his mind and comply. 

 

"oh-okay,  i'll bring a flashlight, my phone,  and the equation." 

 

"alright, we gotta be careful.  don't leave my side. ever." 

 

kihyun smiled and intertwined his small, soft fingers with hoseok's stronger, more veiny ones.  

 

"i promise."

 

they were currently at hoseok's apartment,  packing together necessities for the dangerous route they were going to take,  and though hoseok pretended as though he didn't know,  he _knew._

 

maybe he knew even more about this particular train station than kihyun did,  and its correlation with time travel,  but he didn't know how.  

 

he seemed to recognize things that he didn't seem to know at first.  he called himself forgetful,  but maybe there's more to that... 

 

they exited the cosy apartment, and with every step, kihyun seemed more hesitant and scared.  

 

"don't be scared baby." hoseok said,  pausing to give kihyun a hug before pressing a soft kiss to his lips.  

 

he nodded yet tears found their way down his soft cheek,  and his face was now tinted a pale shade of red.  

 

he was scared--- _terrified_ of whatever secrets were behind this forgotten place,  whatever hoseok happened to know but wasn't telling him,  and he was scared that he'd never see him again.  

 

after all,  whenever kihyun had the feeling that he'd never see someone again,  or never have the same relationship with them anymore--- _it happened._

 

his best friend for instance moved for a year and came back to his hometown,  but completely changed and pretended not to know kihyun,  not to recall their history together,  and simply didn't _care._

 

he also had that feeling when he visited his uncle in the countryside,  and a week later,  he never got to see him again.  he'd passed away.  

 

so now, getting that agonizing twisting feeling in his stomach made it clear to him that fate had drawn its card,  and he may never get to see or have the same relationship with hoseok that he has now _again_.  

 

little did he know,  someone on the other end experienced that same exact feeling and utter fear in addition to reliving it over and over again until he just wanted to _die_.  

  
he tried to snap himself out of those thoughts,  but he simply couldn't,  and though they were walking towards the nearest bus stop,  his steps got slower and slower,  and his vision got blurrier,  his face got hotter,  and the tears wouldn't stop flowing from his eyes. 

"let's drink." 

 

"what?" 

 

"either i'm gonna keep crying or we drink for a bit and deal with this." 

 

hoseok nodded and chewed on his bottom lip as he contemplated this.  

 

"o-okay,  i'm sure we can grab a bottle of soju down there." he says finally,  pointing to the liquor shop across the street from the bus stop.  

 

kihyun hightailed it into the store and hurriedly grabbed the most concentrated drink he could find,  already opening the cap before paying.  

 

he tilted his head back and guzzled the bitter,  strong,  addictive substance before slapping a $20 bill on the counter.  

 

"kihyunnie.. are you okay?" 

 

"no, whatever the hell is going on here is fucking insane and you happen to be hiding shit from me and all of a sudden you know how this shit works and blah blah blah.... for all i know,  you probably just helped me in class to prevent me from finding some of this shit out on my own... you fucking distracted me by kissing me and eventually confessing to me... for all i know,  _you_ could be behind it all.  _you_ might even be the one who knows about all of this... who let it go out of control--" 

 

hoseok stopped him by kissing him,  sloppily and hurriedly but he hoped that'd be enough to get him to shut up.  

 

maybe, just maybe the alcohol will finally go to his head and make him forget all of what he just said.  

  
                               ∞

"you know i love you so much right? like sososososoooooooooooo much.  like even more than butterflies eat kittens and grow into large trees... " 

 

he was definitely tipsy now, and even though they were _supposedly_ making out,  kihyun would still manage to murmur stupid shit against his lips,  his breath was tainted of the strong alcohol,  and they still kind of happened to be pressed up against the shelves of the beer aisle.  

 

"i love you too,  soooosooooosoooooo much,  more than the fucking time traveler loves ruining my life and making me forget everything that fucking happened." hoseok said. 

 

both boys' small giggles erupted into loud, obnoxious laughter and they kissed again,  and again, and again.  

 

"stupid teenagers..." the cashier muttered under his breath before leaving to go to the bathroom (or just to relieve himself from the puke-worthy sight of two dudes [one drunk and one just fucking stupid] making out against the newly cleaned and organized shelves of his liquor store).

 

after a little while,  they sat down and just stared at each other.  hoseok contemplated everything that kihyun had said when he was mad,  and kihyun just stared at hoseok innocently and lovingly as he gradually came to his senses again.  

 

"you know,  i forgot what i was upset about." kihyun said,  flashing hoseok his adorable, innocent smile.  

 

"me too." hoseok lied,  reaching out his hand to help the smaller boy up. 

 

"but i do love you,  a whole lot." he said,  his tone sweet and high-pitched.  

 

"and i love you too," hoseok chirped,  quickly kissing kihyun's lips before leading them both out of the store and across the street. 

 

a bus pulled up to the stop and hoseok panicked, not wanting to wait another 10 or 15 minutes to catch a bus.  

 

"run!!!" hoseok yelled, dragging kihyun along as they crossed the wide street.  cars were in slow,  unmoving traffic,  so they were able to weave in between the vehicles to fully get across.  

 

they both panted and boarded the bus, and hoseok quickly paid the driver before finding two seats for them.  

 

_"i'd like to inform you that the_ _montre_ _station is not in service but the stop in front of it is still operating.  you should be able to catch a southbound or eastbound bus from there if you need to go downtown. "_ the bus driver said over the intercom,  and none of the other passengers seemed to care,  probably because they don't need to go there.  

 

they finally made it to the station and got off, earning strange looks from the other passengers, so hoseok pulled kihyun closer to him protectively,  and they turned their flashlights on as they went through the tunnel entrance downstairs. 

 

it was completely dark and eerie down there,  and the faint screeching of a train could be heard in the distance.  

 

"boo!" hoseok yelled,  causing kihyun to jump. 

 

"you fucking jerk!" kihyun screamed, punching hoseok's muscular chest,  which seemed to have no effect on him.

 

"i'm sorry," he said insincerely, giggling and smiling adorably at the smaller boy.  

 

"fuck you." 

 

"do you really want to?" 

 

"ugh... i fucking hate you..." kihyun muttered, unable to stop a wide grin from spreading across his face. 

 

"i mean we got close one time butㅡ" 

 

"shut up!" kihyun yelled, bringing his hands to his now red face, embarrassed by all that hoseok was saying despite the fact that no one else was there.  

 

_or so they thought..._   

 

"okay," he said,  holding the boy's hand again as they made their way through the dark,  mysterious tunnel. 

 

"so,  this equation here can be an input for some sort of computer code... i'm guessing there's something around here we can hack to figure whatever the hell we need..." kihyun observed.  

 

"problem!" 

 

"what?" 

 

"we're physics majors,  not fucking tech-savvy hackers..." 

 

**_"did someone say hackers???"_ **

 

_there's two more chapters and one epilogue left!!!_ _ahhh_ _!!!!_


	20. spiral

_he was stuck...merely flailing in an open abyss, the world around him dark, cool, and mysterious, chills running down his spine. his eyes opened yet all he was met with was the deceit of darkness, free-falling into empty space._

 

_"come here," a voice said, a small, pale hand extended in contrast to a muscular arm._

 

_hyungwon reached and outstretched his own arm, grunting at the unsatisfactory fight to extend his arm towards the hand that appeared to be so close. he fought and stretched and twisted, yet the hand ventured further and further into the dark._

_"come find me," the voice said in a more taunting tone, still sickly sweet in contrast to the harshness of his tone._

_"reach me," the voice echoed, the darkness soon dispersing into the image of a tunnel, the boy clad in a leather jacket, holding onto a shorter boy in flannel._

_hyungwon ran yet he never heard the pattering of his footsteps, his legs simply floated and clawed at the air._

 

_he woke up at another train station, sunlight pouring in through the large, grid-like windows, and that's when he saw **him.**_

 

_"baby!i missed you!" the man cooed, running up to him with a bright smile, something about his touch seeming too light to be existent._

_words seemed to tumble out his mouth against his will._

  _"i missed you too. being a business major is so damn boring. how was that whole study abroad thing in japan? "_

_"a-ma-zing. the cherry blossoms were beautiful and reminded me of you. osaka is picturesque. okinawa,that's gonna be our honeymoon spot." he had a golden gleam in his eyes that was amplified by the sun._

_"how was boring old seoul and hopping the transport?"_

_"hey, let's have a picnic first and we'll talk all about it!" hyungwon nervously said at the sight of men in suits creeping towards them._

 

**_the watch._ **

 

_images faded out into a completely white background, brightness gradually materializing into pink._

_"you always wanted to see the cherry blossoms. they're nice here, especially near the lake and lotte world, but they're sooo much prettier back in japan."_

_a forced laugh came upon hyungwon's lips against his control._

_"what?"_

_"you love talking about japan.you always have this distant kind of look and this shimmer in your eyes when you talk about it. it's really cute." a smile stretched across both of their lips._

_"a promise is a promise, hun."_

_"i know, ho--"_

 

_**there was complete darkness now.** _

 

_"promises are promises."_

_"promises are promises"_

_"promises are promises."_

_"promises are promises. "_

 

_hyungwon jolted awake, soon appearing in an unceasing train, his senses shocking his whole entire body and being as a whole._

 

**_they're coming._ **

 

 

_**hey guys! ugh...i haven't updated this in forever :'( im probably gonna add wayyyy more chapters for better context because at first i just wanted to end the story but nowadays i really want to take some time and write it well thanks to all the feedback i've been getting.** _

 

_**thanks so much and hopefully i'll add onto this soon <3 ** _

 

_**bye!!!❤** _


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